Call Boxes

You always have a way to connect! Because vehicles don’t choose to break down conveniently during the Freeway Service Patrol’s (FSP) hours of operation, you can rest assured there is a network of over 600 call boxes on Orange County freeways to help you if the need arises. They are spaced approximately one mile apart and can put motorists in touch with an operator at a private call center who can assist in dispatching the appropriate service.

Each call box is solar-powered and equipped with full two-way communication by voice and by typewritten message to assist with speech and hearing-impaired individuals. Some of these call boxes are placed on toll roads and select state highways where the FSP doesn’t patrol!

The call box network in Orange County was launched in 1987 and implemented by the Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) program. It was developed to allow motorists to report road hazards, mechanical breakdowns, traffic accidents and other incidents. To this day, more than three-quarters of the calls received by the call center have been made to report disabled vehicles. Funding for the call box network comes from a $1 annual fee collected per vehicle registration by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Orange County call box network is just another way we’re help'n you with your travels.

Call box service area and hours Call boxes connect you to a private call center that is available 24-hours a day. Some of the call boxes are located where you won’t find FSP coverage. You can find call boxes on the following routes and locations: